My May Long Weekend 2014

We had the nicest May Long weekend at my parents place…the weather co-operated so we were able to get out on the boat, have a campfire, eat s’mores, sit on the dock and enjoy a beautiful Canadian long weekend!  We were all sad it was over, but at the same time it was the nicest way to kick off the summer!  It’s got us excited about all the travelling and camping we intend to do!

When we go out to my parents place we really have such a great time.  They live on a lake so there’s so much for us all to do…the kids get out into the bush and get dirty making forts, we eat lunch on the deck, you can sit and listen to the birds, go on boat rides, or visit the country store.  It’s a great place for us to relax and slooooooow down.  Granted, the kids go a hundred miles an hour when we’re there, but there’s still something that feels slow and relaxed.  The only deadline we have is which kid can get outside the fastest after meals!  Love love that.

And one of my favourite things about being there are all the birds.  So here’s something I’ve never really shared here before, and I can’t believe I haven’t!  I love birds.  All birds.  In fact, I think my favourite animal in the whole world is a raven.  I’ve even taken an entire university class on the birds of Alberta. Yep.  Do you like birds?  I find that you either love or hate birds.  I’m definitely in the love category!

As far back as I can remember I’ve been curious about birds.  I remember spending time with my grandparents over the summers, and my Grandpa would take me, my sister and my cousins around the farm to look at all the little nests of robin eggs or sparrow eggs and wait patiently for them to hatch.  Those moments are some of my most cherished memories.  And I truly think this is where my love of birds started.  I especially have a fondness for lake birds…ducks, herons, pipers, blackbirds and loons.

So this May Long weekend spent at my parents was the perfect place to bird watch!  I put my new camera to the test and took a lot of pictures this past weekend…come check out our weekend!

The lake was brimming with life this weekend.  Even though everything was still on the verge of turning green, the wild life was out in full force!  Nesting was taking place everywhere you looked.  Can you see the 2 mallards protecting their nest?  The bright green head kind of gives them away hee hee, but momma is hard to see but she’s there.

If you kept your eye along the shores you could see many different species protecting nests…Mergansers, Canada Geese, Buffleheads, Goldeneye, Loons…

This was a fun find!  We’ve never spotted Mergansers on the lake before.  I snapped this pic of one in mid flight…I wish it wasn’t blurry, but there’s still something about it I love.

But the loons.  Oh the loons…they’re the best.  They are the quintessential Canadian lake bird.  So elusive and hard to photograph.  Their calls heard across the lake are what summers are made of.  So eerie but so beautiful.

But you know what my favourite lake bird is?

The Red Winged Black Birds.  They’re beautiful and their calls are my favourite.  As soon as I hear a call from these birds, I know that spring has finally arrived.  These beautiful birds were everywhere this weekend.

I just sat on the dock and waited for them to land so I could capture them on camera.  Then when this one flew towards me I nearly fell into the water…I love this picture!  He’s sporting a fancy pair of red shoulder pads.

As for my kids…they spent 85% of their time in the bush.  I love seeing them out there exploring and playing together.  These are times they just get to be kids and be dirty and play where the only sounds are birds, trees and wind.  I would just spy on them from the deck or house and smile at how little they still are.

And you can’t have a summer weekend at the lake without a campfire and s’mores!  Our s’more building may actually be the real testament to the arrival of summer.  Btw, I found a bag of tutti frutti marshmallows at Canadian Tire, and they’re gooooood.  Like really good.  And very very yummy in s’mores.  Just sayin.

By the way, how do you like our campfire?  Perfect for s’mores right?  Haha!  This is our annual Christmas tree burn.  It’s amazing to watch…a little scary for a  moment, but really really cool.

Oh and of course a weekend at the lake includes boat rides at every chance we can get.  I love touring around the lake!

It was a bit too cold for tubing and skiing, but my crazy kids did jump in the lake a couple of times.  Did I mention they’re crazy?!  You couldn’t pay me to jump in this time of year.  Brrrrrr

Anyway, we really did have an amazing weekend…we all feel recharged and full of new energy.  Now we’re busy planning the rest of our summer…bring on the tent, campfires and new adventures!

What are you doing this summer?  Any big plans?